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Month: March 2015

The ‘Mozart effect’ phenomenon was first suggested by a scientific study published in 1993 in the respected journal Science. It showed that teenagers who listened to Mozart’s 1781 Sonata for Two Pianos in D major performed better in reasoning tests than adolescents who listened to something else or who had been in a silent room. […]

While previous studies have found that listening to music (especially classical music) has a positive impact on a person’s cognitive ability and brain function, the molecular mechanisms responsible for these benefits had remained unclear – until now. Researchers from the Haartman Institute Department of Medical Genetics at the University of Helsinki in Finland, the University […]

‘Well, sure, maybe just a few minutes of music.” This is the typical response I hear from patients when I offer them a music therapy session. Usually their initial hesitation leads to a visit lasting up to an hour, which may be followed by many more sessions. As a music therapist, I work in an […]

A new study reveals that listening to classical music enhances mood, sharpens memory and enhances learning. Listening to classical music kicks your genes into action, spurring the onset of several physiological processes in the body that can boost your mood and enhance your memory, according to Finnish researchers. Genes that secrete and transport the feel-good […]

In 2008 senator Barack Obama put out a powerful platform in support of the Arts. He argued for reinvesting in art education because the creativity stemming from these arts made the country a great one. After being elected, though, the pressures of higher reading and mathematics skills pushed things like art to the side, with […]

Why does music impact us so deeply? There’s never been a real answer. But Leonid Perlovsky, a research physicist and investigator of human cognitive functioning, has a new theory—music helps our brains integrate distasteful contradictions. According to Perlovsky, writing at The Conversation, music’s effect on the brain is connected to the theory of cognitive dissonance. […]

As a 7-year-old pianist, I experienced the joy of learning Beethoven’s “Für Elise.” My eyes deciphered the notes on the page, my ears guided me to depress the right keys, and my fingers translated the symbols on the page with the right speed, rhythm and expression. The benefit in my mind was the pleasure of […]